We have a joke in our family at large that one member (who shall remain nameless!) fears change more than cancer.  I know that cancer is no joke – and we have had our fair share of cancer in our family – but inside the comfort of family such humour is permissible.  Certainly this family member resists change by nature.  Interesting though that once this person agrees to the change – you have the most loyal supporter of the change – none better - but getting that agreement is not much fun – if I am being very honest!  Yet change is inevitable – on every front – it is easy to wonder why some resist so much.  What is behind change?

I am involved in a group in the local school and one of the crew sent along a message he had picked up on the subject of “Change”.  The short paper in question was written David Coghlan, a Professor of Business Organisation Development at a very prestigious university.  David is also a Jesuit priest.  They say that the founder of the Jesuits (Ignatius) asked his companions to always keep one foot off the ground, so they were ready to move and change to the next challenge at a moments notice.  That request from over 500 years ago might be very valid for business and government organizations of today.

David (who I do not know) posed six questions central to change.  These questions were based on his research.  In the context of getting groups to move to engage in better work, project and portfolio management, I thought the questions were simple, searching and spot-on.

1. Why change?
2. What do we want things to be like after we’ve changed?
3. What do we need to change in order to get there?
4. How do we get there?
5. How do we sustain what we have changed?
6. What have we learned that’ll help us for future change?

1. Why change?

This would be a great opening conversation to have with your team.  Those two simple words – “Why change?”.   The trap is to forget that while you have been days, weeks or months seeing the need for change, that others have not had those experiences or thoughts.

2. What do we want things to be like after we’ve changed?

If you all have a common vision for what work will be like post the project management change – you are well down the road to achieving that change.

3. What do we need to change in order to get there?

By talking out this question – you are doing at least two very important tasks.  (1) You are identifying what needs to be done to achieve the change.  (2) But you are also getting people on board – and reducing the resistance time.  Maybe the second is more important, as whatever list you come up with will change (!), so you need a team open to quickly modifying the list of what needs doing.

4. How do we get there?

This is where you execute the project to change and in so doing improve the way you manage work, projects and portfolios.

5. How do we sustain what we have changed?

It is well worth assuming that regression is easily possible and identifying the regression risks.  Then bake in activities that will reduce this regression risk.

6. What have we learned that’ll help us for future change?

As David suggests, why not learn about change from the change project just undertaken.

Needless to say the above 6 questions can help frame any type of change – not just changing the way you manage work, projects and portfolios. 

I’d like to think that the BrightWork Deployment Approach answers these 6 questions – but we will double check!  Maybe we re-phrase the questions slightly as follows and then include them as set of questions in the Strategy and Planning phase:

1. Why change?
2. What do we want things to be like after we’ve changed?
3. What do we need to change in order to get there?
4. How do we get there?
5. What do we expect we will have to do in order to sustain what we will have changed?
6. What do we expect that we will have learned that will help us for future change?

Would that not be a great start to any change project?